The Southeast Arizona Food Bank, Inc. (SEAFB) is a regional food distribution center founded in 1987. The Food bank began with a warehouse of 1,800 sq. feet, a core of seven agencies and a staff which consisted of the Executive Director and one volunteer. In the first year one million pounds of food were distributed. In 1987 SEAFB was the first food bank in the state to utilize inmate labor from Arizona Dept. of corrections; in 1998 one of the state's first recipients of an Arizona Department of Economic Security Community Food Security Contract to alleviate hunger in Hispanic families. In 1999. with the aid of grants from the Nina Mason Pulliam charitable Trust and the UPS Foundation, the installation of a produce dehydration center in the food bank, only one of two in the nation.

Today the SEAFB has grown to encompass a 40,000 sq. foot warehouse and kitchen, with 57,000 cubic feet of freezer space, enough room to accept deliveries from 16 semis. Rey Martinez, the executive director, oversees 6 employees and 7 volunteers. For every dollar received in donations SEAFB distributes enough food for 15 meals. The dehydration center has successfully dehydrated kiwi, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, squash, apples, and bananas. For the past Fiscal Year, SEAFB has distributed 104,256 pounds of food to the general public. With more contributions SEAFB will continue to have food programs available and we will strive to come up with new ways to reach out to the hungry.

SEAFB works with Safeway, Food City, Project Ayuda, SaraLee, Holsum, and Project PPEP in the distribution and donations for the Food Bank.

SEAFB also receives contributions from the e-script program. We are currently involved with earning contributions from the Safeway e- script program. By donating your Safeway ID card number, Safeway can calculate how much money you have spent during the month and in return they donate, based on your monthly purchases, 10% of THEIR money back to the Southeast Arizona Food Bank. Through the e-scrip program, you can also use your VISA card on purchases, and VISA will also donate 2% of THEIR money back to the food bank. Please visit the link below to find some really cool ways of contributing to the Southeast Arizona Food Bank. By visiting the Online Mall through the e-scrip link, and making purchases we will also receive contributions. Any donations that are received go towards the food purchases for the Emergency Food Box Program, fuel costs for traveling to pickup produce donations, or towards any costs that need be to keep the food bank running.

THANK YOU!!!

The Southeast Arizona Food Bank would like to Thank everyone who donated their Safeway ID number to the food bank . We just got word from the E-Scrip Director that we are in the TOP 200 earning groups nationally in the Safeway 10% Back Program!! We will be receiving a $1,000.00 Bonus in addition to the $1957.44 that we received for the month of January!!! Please continue to contribute by visiting www.escrip.com. If you have any questions on how to register to help contribute, please call Angela at 520-384-4433.

We are always looking for ideas on new programs to start, as far as helping our community. Some programs that we are looking into starting, and would always accept donations for , are:

Economy Produce Market- A program that allows us to pick up and distribute fresh produce in Cochise, Graham and Santa Cruz Counties. This produce is donated from Eurofresh Farms and fromt he Wilson Baltiz Food BAnk in Nogales. The produce is given for free. Current program

Economy Store- A salvage program that allows the public to shop for groceries at a very low discounted price. Food Stamps are accepted. Current Program

Economy Clothes Line Store- A clothing program that helps us fund the Economy Produce Market. Clothes are still offered to those who can not afford it for free. Current Program

Emergency Food Boxes- This program offers free food to those in need of emergency food assistance. Current program.

Programs that we intend to start are:

Diabetic boxes and education, The Diaper Bag- a program that will target the nutritional needs of children ages 0-5, Senior Center- a place where seniors can come for activites and a hot meal, Stewed Soup Kitchen- a facility that will serve hot meals, we already having a kitchen just looking for the funds to restart it, Polished- a supplement to our emergency food boxes that will offer hygenial products and cleaning products, Milk, Please!- a program that will offer free milk, Homemade- classes that will show people how to preserve and cook food, Start early, eat healthy- a program that will offer food and eductional classes on how to eat properly.